Two executives offered deal in campaign-finance case

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Prosecutors have offered to drop misdemeanor charges against seven people associated with the R.M. Towill engineering firm if two high-ranking current and former company executives don't fight other campaign-finance charges.

The deal would require the two executives, who have not been arrested or charged, to accept responsibility for unspecified misdemeanor or felony offenses stemming from alleged illegal campaign contributions to Mayor Jeremy Harris.

In exchange, prosecutors would drop misdemeanor charges against seven current and former Towill employees and associates, including Big Island deputy county clerk Jay Mende and two family members. The defendants were indicted in November for allegedly donating money to Harris under false names and related campaign violations.

Prosecutors said the plea deal was mentioned in a court hearing yesterday in which a trial date for the seven defendants was postponed until the week of June 21.

A wide-ranging probe of illegal donations to Harris' campaign committee has stretched more than two years. Several other defendants have pleaded guilty, or no contest, to misdemeanors or felonies and were fined. No cases have gone to trial, and no defendants have gone to jail.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.